1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for splitting a product stream coming from a folding group making a desired fold and feeding it to either of two further folding groups for making a further fold, wherein the products are stripped from a folding cylinder and diverted into one of two tape guide systems for transport to the further folding groups.
2. Description of the Related Art
The article xe2x80x9cDie Neuheitxe2x80x94variabler Falzapparat den Offsetdruckxe2x80x9d [What""s newxe2x80x94a variable folder for offset printing], which appeared in the technical journal Deutscher Drucker No. 43/18/11/1999, page w 12 ff, discloses a splitter station with a single drive, which splits or separates a product stream into two part product streams and forwards it to two folders making a third fold.
The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for splitting a product stream for folding systems which, in the event of a production change, can be easily adapted to the production conditions.
According to the invention, the products are stripped away from the folding cylinder by a tape guide module that can be pivoted toward the folding cylinder, and guided away from the folding cylinder by at least one stripper tongue which cooperates with the tape guide module. The tape guide systems and a diverter element are integrated into a splitter module.
The apparatus is equipped with a single drive, which drives both all the tape guide systems for feeding the product into the two folders which process the product further, in particular third folds, and also the tape guide module and the diverter element.
A significant advantage of the invention is that the splitter apparatus is equipped with a tape guide module which, in particular, can be pivoted away from the folding cylinder of the second fold. This action of pivoting away from the folding cylinder permits, firstly, referencing of the single drive motor of the splitter module to the folding group which, in particular, makes the second fold, which makes position equalization possible and is brought about in a referencing position, as it is called, of this tape guide module, and, secondly, pivoting the tape guide module into a service position for product removal, for example in the event of a paper jam or to carry out maintenance work.
During the referencing operation of the single drive of the splitter module, the latter is positioned in a defined rotational angle position (phase angle) in relation to the virtual guide shaft and therefore in a definable rotational angle position in relation to the second fold. In the process, the second fold comes to a standstill.
For this purpose, it is necessary for the tape guide module that can be pivoted away to be located in a referencing position which deviates, in particular approximately parallel, from the virtual delivery plane on which the products from the second fold are conveyed out of the folding cylinder by the tape guide module. This is done as soon as the second fold is at a standstill (n2 fold=0), that is to say without lifting the tape guide module above the folding cylinder, this module would slide either on the folding cylinder and/or on the product located there during the referencing operation (nSM greater than 0). Consequently, the avoidance of paper jams may be mentioned as a further advantage of this pivoting away into the referencing position.
Alternative drive designs for avoiding referencing between a splitter module and second fold are technically significantly more complicated. For example, it would be an alternative to implement the drive from the second fold outward and to equip the latter with an increase in power, which would be about 20 kW.
However, this would lead to a higher concentration of power in the second fold, with all the disadvantages for the overall modular concept.
A drawback of this type for the overall modular concept can be seen for example, in the necessary increased design and dimensioning of all the drive elements which transmit forces and torque, such as gear mechanisms, gear wheels, pairs of gear wheels, etc. The above-described increase in power of the drive of the second fold is transmitted to all the drive elements with a drive connection to the latter, and makes this increased dimensioning of these drive elements absolutely necessary.
A further alternative drive variant would be to derive the drive of the splitter apparatus from the drives of the folding groups making the third fold, but this would have the drawback of a more complicated drive guidance, the drawback of necessary increases in power and therefore, at the same time, also the drawback of a detrimental effect on the overall modular concept.
As already explained above, the power of the drives of the folding groups making the third fold is transmitted to all the drive elements having a drive connection thereto. Because of the increase in power, however, increased dimensioning of the driving elements having a drive connection to the drive of the folding groups making the third fold is absolutely necessary.
A further disadvantage is influencing the tape speed as a result of the folding-blade adjustment. This is because the tape speed is implement by means of the single drive of the folding group making the upper third fold or the folding group making the lower third fold.
It is beneficial that reject diverters are arranged in the apparatus in such a way that specific idling of the folder in the region between the second and third folds is possible. Reject diverters are arranged upstream of the assemblies, for example the folding tables, of both folding groups making the third fold, in order to protect these folding groups. An additional reject diverter is arranged upstream of the diverter elements in order to be able to dispose of xe2x80x9colder productsxe2x80x9d following a production change, for example in the event of a change from collecting to non-collecting.
A further advantage of the invention is that the drive rolls are configured and arranged in such a way that, in particular as a result of their size and their arrangement between the runs, for example between the upper and the lower run, of the belt elements, both in the forward and product-carrying run, and in the returning and non-product-carrying run, which results in a more uniform tape tension distribution. The more uniform tape tension distribution is advantageous in that a quieter tape run is effected.
An alternative variant to this would be to operate with more than two drive points in the same tape paths, in order to achieve the advantage of the more uniform tape tension distribution.
A further particular advantage is changing over the diverter element between the product types non-collecting (that is to say double-split), collecting or loading an individual folding group, the changeover being carried out by lifting the cam roller by means of which the diverter element is controlled to suit production, and by displacing the cam discs.
It is advantageous that this relatively simple arrangement, comprising cam roller and associated cam discs, for example as compared with a step gearbox which alternatively could be used, can be implemented more easily and more cost-effectively, since a step gearbox would have to make two rotational speeds and two fixed positions possible.
An alternative drive variant and control variant of the diverter element results if, instead of the cam drive described above and comprising cam roller and cam discs, the single drive of the diverter element is provided by a cam disc and a motor, in particular a single drive motor, which, in the operating mode xe2x80x9coperate at speed 0 (rotational speed zero)xe2x80x9d, following prior positioning of the diverter elements and also by changing the rotational speed, the four operating modes mentioned above, which result from the two rotational speeds and two fixed positions, could be implemented.
In the operating mode xe2x80x9coperate at speed 0xe2x80x9d, a holding moment is transmitted to the diverter element by the motor, so that the diverter element is not rotated on account of the products striking it during production.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. It should be further understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwise indicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein.